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Self weaning at 9mos?

We've been having some problems for a little while with my dd nursing, taking a bottle or sippy cup. We don't normally give her a bottle but I'm thinking she needs fluids. When my dd wakes up in the morning she doesn't want anything to do with my bbs, bottle or sippy cup. So is it normal for me to just give her breakfast? I totally feel like I have no idea what is going on with her lately. When you think about it the last time she nurses is before bed at 7pm the night before. I know at this age they should be slowing down on feedings but the only way she will nurse period is if she is half asleep. Can someone please shed some light for me? I'm about at my wits-end. I never worried about her weight or her fluid intake before because we've never had a problem, but now I can't help but worry.

sorry if I posted this in the wrong area I was just wondering if she could be weaning herself already.

TIA
Rachel

Want to add: My LC recommended this forum I'm so happy I found it.
Thanks

Re: Self weaning at 9mos?

Is your daughter easily distracted? Some babies need a quiet dark place to nurse. My son would only nurse in a quiet dark place from 4 months on. She may also be teething. Is she fussy any other time of the day or just when bfeeding?

Re: Self weaning at 9mos?

Hi. Especially if she arching her back, I would agree with the pp that it sounds like a nursing strike. Also agreed that a baby this young needs the vast majority of their nutrition from breastmilk. Some things to try might be...
-hand express some milk and leave it on the nipple just before nursing so that the milk is flowing and she gets immediate satisfaction at the breast.
-Maybe try some different nursing positions.
-Nurse while you are moving - walking, rocking, etc.
- Extra attention and skin-to-skin contact can help, maybe even getting in the bathtub with her and try to nurse there.

Nursing strikes usually take patience and persistence to overcome, but you can do it!! Good luck.

Re: Self weaning at 9mos?

Hi. Especially if she arching her back, I would agree with the pp that it sounds like a nursing strike. Also agreed that a baby this young needs the vast majority of their nutrition from breastmilk. Some things to try might be...
-hand express some milk and leave it on the nipple just before nursing so that the milk is flowing and she gets immediate satisfaction at the breast.
-Maybe try some different nursing positions.
-Nurse while you are moving - walking, rocking, etc.
- Extra attention and skin-to-skin contact can help, maybe even getting in the bathtub with her and try to nurse there.

Nursing strikes usually take patience and persistence to overcome, but you can do it!! Good luck.

Re: Self weaning at 9mos?

Yeah it sounds like a nursing strike. We went through this and it is so stressful. Good for you to keep trying new things. I found that it was reassuring to go to LLL meetings while we were going through this. I eventually had a nurse in for 2 days in my bedroom. I took a weekend when my hubby was around and lazed about in bed with lots of skin on skin contact and nursed whenever my son was hungry. We had toys and books but mostly after about 8 hours he had started to nurse again. He was 4 months at the time and he would never again nurse with any distraction so it really limited where we went and for how long but we did manage. I would also reccomend avoiding any sippy cups or bottles if you have been giving them to her. I think the ease with which babe's get fluid from these makes the work of bfeeding less desirable. If you are worried about fluid intake try spoon feeding, syringe, or a cup. I was pumping at the time and my son was getting one bottle while I was at work and we cut that out entirely. Other advice I got from a LLL leader while we were on the nursing strike was to nurse whenever my babe was groggy(eg before and after naps). We went directly from sleep to a chair in the same room with the lights still out and a noise machine on. It worked quite well. The white noise was a real lifesaver as it blocked out many of the distractions. The backarching is so very frustrating. If you can keep your babe swaddled or bundled with knees bent this helps too. I found one backarch led to another and if my son didn't have the opportunity to arch to begin with he quickly forgot about it. A nine month old may be a little smart for that trick though. I also wore my babe around topless in my sling. Sounds silly but it worked to get his rooting instinct back because he had lost it entirely.

Re: Self weaning at 9mos?

You have received some good replies here about nursing strikes which are really common and demand patience to get through. There are a lot of good moms' stories on this website with how to weather them.

Another possibility might be a change in the taste of your milk. If your menses have just returned this sometimes happens or if you are taking any dietary supplements or medication.

Have you introduced any artificial nipples - pacis or bottles lately?

Thrush can also cause babies to refuse to nurse or congestion, possible ear infection?

Re: Self weaning at 9mos?

My son, now 7 months old, began the back arching at about 4 months and I soon got the message that he would only nurse if we laid down together, which as someone else mentioned, does limit your breastfeeding location. I thought DH and I would be able to go out on date nights with him since I could breastfeed him to sleep but once the arching of the back started, along with the tears, that plan went out the window! He will nurse for me when he wakes up and I'm sitting, but most other times, particularly when he needs to sleep, he insists we lay down.

Good luck and I'm glad you posted because I thought I was the only one!

Re: Self weaning at 9mos?

Thank you Thank you everyone.

I'm so ready to throw in the towel. I get mad at myself for feeling this way too because I really wanted to go on with bfing much longer. My dd never gets a bottle (maybe in a rare case when my dh and I go out on a date which has happen maybe 3 times and not for awhile). She doesn't take a paci (I was always her paci ).
Ava woke up at 5am this morning, nursed for literally 2mins (not at all emptying my breast) but she was awake enough to be very upset I was feeding her at all. It really makes me feel like she doesn't need me... silly I know but I can't help but feel so many mixed emotions now.
I received my first af when Ava was 5 mos old, which was shocking but nice because Ava was still only bfing and we hadn't started solids yet.
I can tell my supply will be fading fast now with her eating so seldom and for only short periods of time. I can't pump I haven't been able to (stress probably - I don't get more then an ounce - and I can't get a letdown).

We've tried so many positions. I feel like we've tried everything. The only way she will eat is if she is tired and just about to sleep. In fact I have to go into her bedroom and get her after she's fallen asleep sometimes.

Well this morning I tried formula the hospital gave us when she was born and nope, so atleast I know it might not just be me. I don't know what could have change in my milk if anything. I haven't eaten anything different and not on any medication.

Thank you everyone again. It is nice to know this happens. I just wonder how long we have left. As of now I feel like she'll never want to nurse like she used to again.